HERITAGE
ENTERTAINMENT PAGE 2-C
www.heritage.com
July 29, 2010
Kerrytown BookFest to celebrate Michigan authors The eighth annual Kerrytown BookFest in Ann Arbor will celebrate Michigan authors and books Sept. 12, with a special emphasis on children’s literature. Authors in this year’s event include three National Book Award finalists, several Edgar Award and Anthony mystery award winners and nominees, a Caldecott winner and numerous Michigan Notable Book Award winners. The Kerrytown BookFest is unique, says Gene Alloway, president of the BookFest board and owner of Motte & Bailey Bookstore in Ann Arbor. Kerrytown is an historic neighborhood in the city that includes the Ann Arbor Farmers’ Market, which is where the event is held. “The BookFest is the only festival of the book to celebrate both authors and the artists and crafts people who help create books.” As a special attraction, mystery writer and Edgar Award winner Doug Allyn of Montrose will interview the Kerrytown BookFest’s Community Book Award Winner, Whitmore Lake mystery and western writer Loren Estleman. Estleman has been a National Book Award nominee, an Edgar Award finalist and has won the Spur, the Shamus and the American Mystery Award. Alloway said that the Book Award is given each year to a person who exemplifies the spirit of the BookFest. “Estleman is a major literary figure in the Ann Arbor community and goes out of his way to support local writers and literary events,” Alloway said. Events this year include panels on “Northern Noir,” paranormal fiction, children’s literature, memoirs, historical fiction and Michigan literature, along with hands-on demonstrations from local craftspeople. Keith Taylor, head of the University of Michigan undergraduate creative writing program, will interview national Book Award finalist Thomas Lynch, who is from Milford, Mich. Another National Book Award finalist and Caldecott Award Winner, David Small, will be interviewed by Nicola Rooney of Nicola’s Books. The third finalist, Bonnie Jo
Campbell, will participate in the panel on Michigan literature. This year’s event also will have a special focus on children’s literature. Bestselling authors Sarah Stewart of Mendon, Debbie Taylor of Ann Arbor, Susan Kathleen Hartung of Portage, Deborah Deisen of Grand Ledge, as well as author and illustrator team Michael and Colleen Monroe of Brighton, and author-illustrator Ruth McNally Barshaw of Lansing will make presentations and do readings. A group of area teen poets also will perform readings, and storyteller Heather O’Neal of Ann Arbor will entertain with children’s stories from Nepal. Mother Goose will once again make an appearance. Five Michigan authors at this year’s event have won the Michigan Authors Award presented by the Michigan Library Association. They are Steve Hamilton, Estleman, Sarah Stewart, Thomas Lynch and this years’ award-winner, John Smolens. The “Northern Noir” panel is packed with award-winning mystery authors Steve Hamilton, Bryan Gruley and William Kent Krueger and moderated by Edgar and Anthony nominee Craig McDonald. Hamilton won the Edgar Award for his book “A Cold Day in Paradise,” and Krueger has won the Anthony Award three times. Bryan Gruley’s first mystery book, “Starvation Lake,” was an Edgar Finalist and was recently nominated for two Anthony awards. Gruley’s most recent book, “The Hanging Tree,” was selected as an Indie NEXT pick. True crime writers Mardi Link and Gail Griffin a will discuss two cases about serial killers on college campuses during a presentation called “Michigan Murders.” The University of Michigan Press also will release the updated version of the “Michigan Murders,” a book by Edward Keyes about the serial killings in the Ann ArborYpsilanti area during the late 1960s. Michigan Notable Book Award winners on the BookFest program are David Small, Bonnie Jo Campbell, Thomas Lynch, Donald Lystsra, Mardi Link, Steve Luxenberg,
Loren Estleman, Steve Lehto, Steve Amick, Keith Taylor and Michael Zadoorian. Also included in the BookFest this year are two literary arts competitions: the Book Cover Design and the Edible Book Contest. Entrants to the Book Cover Design Contest, which is open to Michigan high school students, are being asked to create a new cover design for Hamilton’s “A Cold Day in Paradise.” Honorary chairs for this year’s event are Joe and Karen O’Neal of Ann Arbor, who brought the bells to Kerrytown’s tower. Last year, more than 5,000 attended the one day event which includes more than 100 exhibitors, artists and book sellers. Alloway said the BookFest will feature an outstanding array of illustrators, poets, letterpress printers, calligraphers, librarians, publishers, book artists and storytellers. The BookFest also mounts a literary exhibit in the Ann Arbor District Library. This year’s theme is “Michigan Treasures” showcasing art, dust jackets and books that represent Michigan award-winning books. The Kerrytown BookFest Board of Directors includes bookstore owners, retailers within the Kerrytown District and representatives from the media and community. This year, four new board members were added. They are Lynn Yates of Zingerman’s Foundation; Kate Kehoe, artisan and employee at the Hatcher Graduate Library; Meg Brown, community representative; and Lisa McDonald, proprietor of the Teahaus in Kerrytown. Other board members are Gene Alloway, proprietor of Motte & Bailey Bookstore; Robin Agnew, proprietor of Aunt Agatha’s mystery bookstore; John Hilton, editor of the Ann Arbor Observer; Bill Castanier, literary critic and mittenlit.com blogger; and Cindy Hollander¸ co-owner of Hollander’s, a shop specializing in decorative paper, bookbinding supplies and workshops. For more information on the BookFest and for a complete listing of authors and programs, visit www.kerrytownbookfest.org.
Theater to offer sound design workshops The Ann Arbor Civic Theatre is offering a three-part workshop to educate potential volunteers in sound design and operation for theater in general and Ann Arbor Civic Theatre musicals in particular. Led by Bob Skon, veteran sound designer, Ark sound engineer and Michigan Radio chief engineer, the workshop will teach participants how to set up and operate sound
CHELSEA Creatures of Ice 11 a.m. Thursday: Eddy Discovery Center, Bush Road, Chelsea. Free. $6 vehicle fee. 475-3170.
Sounds and Sights on Thursday Nights 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday: Music and entertainment in downtown Chelsea. Free (fee for carriage ride). 475-1145.
Chelsea Ride 6 p.m. Thursdays, 9 a.m. Mondays: Meet at Aberdeen Bike, 1175 S. Main St. Free. 1517-285-6830.
“Boeing-Boeing” 8 p.m. Wednesdays through Sundays, ending Aug. 28: Purple Rose Theatre, 137 Park St. 433-7673.
equipment, prepare sound cues and mic assignment charts and mix the sound for a show. Attendees will also have the opportunity to attend movein and tech rehearsals at the Lydia Mendelssohn Theatre for Ann Arbor Civic Theatre’s fall musical, “Bye, Bye, Birdie.” The workshop is free, and participants who wish to become Civic members will
Community Drum Jam 8 p.m. Friday: Tree of Life Cultural Arts Studio, 6065 Sibley Road, Chelsea. Free. 4330697.
Waterloo Area Farm Museum 1 to 5 p.m. Friday to Sunday: 9998 Waterloo-Munith Road, Chelsea. $4 (age 62 and older, $3; ages 5-17, $2; ages 4 and younger, and members, free). 1-517-596-2254.
DEXTER Story Times 11 a.m. Thursday and Monday; and 1 p.m. Monday: Dexter District Library, 3255 Alpine St., Dexter. Free. 4264477.
“Wet, Wild, and Funny Friends”
receive a discount on the membership fee. Part 1 takes place from 1 to 4 p.m. Aug. 14. Parts 2 and 3 take place from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Aug. 21 and Aug. 28. All sessions will be held at the Ann Arbor Civic Theatre Studio, 322 W. Ann St. For more information or to register for the free workshop, visit www.a2ct.org or call the A2CT office at 971-2228.
A New Home
After a yearlong property search, the Blackbird Theatre will settle into its new home in Ann Arbor’s Kerrytown district. The company will share its new home with the \sh\-aut Gallery at 325 Braun Court. The intimate venue is located near Kerrytown Shops and the Ann Arbor Farmers’ Market. After a recent run of “Patty Hearst: The New Musical” in the space in June, the Blackbird negotiated a deal to create a permanent residence there.
Nashbash festival coming to Kerrytown Concert House Country artist Olivia West will headline the Kerrytown District Association’s fourth annual Nashbash, a festival showcasing the music of Nashville. Set in the Ann Arbor Farmers’ Market, the festival features a roster of national and local performers. Nashbash is free and takes place from 5 to 8:30 p.m. Aug. 19. The artistic force behind Nashbash is Whit Hill, a longtime member of the Ann Arbor arts community who now lives in Nashville. She and her band, Whit Hill and the Postcards, join the Nashbash roster, which also includes Pam Kennedy Boylan and Steve Mitchell, also from Nashville; Bill Bynum and Co. from Detroit; Louise Mosrie, winner of the Kerrville New Folk competition in 2009; Lisa Pappas, singer songwriter from Ann Arbor; and area singer and guitarist Matt Boylan. Contributing to the festival atmosphere, the Ann Arbor Artisan Market will be operating under the farmers’ market canopy. Barbecue and drinks, including beer and wine, will be available, served up by Aut Bar owners Keith Orr and Martin Contrares. Immediately following Nashbash, the Aut Bar, 315 Braun Court, will host an afterglow party from 8:30 to 10 p.m. with an open mic featuring many of the festival’s performers.
Artist profiles Singer songwriter Olivia West grew up in the outskirts of Kansas City, Mo. in a small town called Harrisonville. She started singing and writing songs at an early age, landing her first pro-
fessional gigs at the age of 12. Her most recent album, “Alone and Personal – Acoustic Sessions” was released in March. Spectrum Magazine wrote: “It’s evident that West is singing her songs from the heart, as each word is soaked with emotion.” West balances her touring engagements with raising a family. When she’s on tour and her husband is working, her two sons, Luke and Joey, travel with her. The family lives in Nashville. Whit Hill and the Postcards features singer-songwriter Whitley Hill, her husband, singer-keyboardist-guitarist Al Hill, bassist Patrick Prouty and drummer Chuck Navyac. Driven by Whitley Hill, the group was formed in the winter of 2001 in order to bring interesting, literate alt-country music to the greater Detroit area. Hill, having spent much of her creative life in Ann Arbor, recently moved with her husband Al Hill to Nashville, where they are quickly becoming a vital part of music community. In addition to being a founding artistic force of the annual Nashbash, Whit Hill and the Postcards has played at the Ann Arbor Folk Festival, the Wheatland Music Festival, the Toledo Music Festival, FarmFest and at concert venues, bars and clubs throughout Michigan. Pam Kennedy Boylan grew up in Texas and moved to Nashville nearly 14 years ago to join the city’s renowned singer-songwriter scene. She performed in the acclaimed musical “Warrior” by songwriter Marcus Hummon in 2001 and has since performed backup vocals for a variety of musicians around Nashville. Boylan has appeared in many
of the Nashville music rooms such as the Douglas Corner Café, the BlueBird and the Wildhorse Saloon where she opened for the band Sons of the Desert. She has also appeared as a featured actress in many independent films, which were presented at Nashville Sundance Festival events. Nashville-based guitarist and composer Steve Mitchell has toured extensively around the world, performing in Canada, U.S., United Kingdom, Germany, Switzerland, Denmark and Norway. He is a former member and songwriter for the Juno-Award Winning band The Paperboys and has performed multiple times at Nashville’s Bluebird Café. Several of Mitchell’s compositions were featured in the award-winning documentary “The Yenissey River Adventure.” He appeared as a member of a band in the movie “Lunch With Charles” starring Bif Naked. Bill Bynum & Co. consists of Bill Bynum (guitar, vocals), Mary Seelhorst (fiddles, vocals), Dave Keeney (Dobro) and Chuck Anderson (bass). The group’s core of guitar, Dobro, fiddle, bass and harmony vocals can lean into bluegrass, veer toward country or take listeners on a journey through Bynum’s original songs. A Detroit Native, Bynum is a first-prize winner in the Metro Detroit Songwriting Showcase with his song “Lovin’ You.” He has collaborated with bluegrass legend Pete Goble, an International Bluegrass Music Association Lifetime Achievement Award winner. Goble called Bynum “an excellent rhythm guitar player and an excellent songwriter.”
7 to 9 p.m. Friday: Country music by Detroit singersongwriter Justine Blazer. Downtown Saline. Free. 4294494.
Washtenaw Ave., Ypsilanti. $15 (seniors, $12; age 18 and younger, $10) at the door. 1-517-423-1962
THINGS TO DO: REGIONAL CALENDAR 11 a.m. Friday: Livonia ventriloquist Vikki Gasko, Dexter District Library, 3255 Alpine St., Dexter. Free. 426-4477.
Youth Activities 2 p.m. Friday: “Sand Bracelet Making.” Dexter District Library, 3255 Alpine St. Free. 426-4477.
Teen Activities 2 p.m. Saturday: Sixth through 12th grades “Robots, Sumo Battles and Teens.” 1 to 3 p.m. Tuesday: “Pizza Making with Cottage Inn. Dexter District Library, 3255 Alpine St. Free. 426-4477.
SALINE Saline Varsity Blues 25th Anniversary Concert 7 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday: “VB Celebrates
American Pop Culture.” Saline High School, 1300 Campus Drive. $10 in advance. For locations, visit www.salinevarsityblues.com) $12 at the door. 994-3162.
Thursday Night Contra 7 p.m. Thursday: 4531 Concourse Drive. $7 (students, $4).
“Kaleidoscope” 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Thursday: Saline District Library, 555 N. Maple Road. Free. Pre-register at 429-5450.
PG-13+ Thursday Movies 2 p.m. Thursday: Saline District Library, 555 N. Maple Road. Free. Pre-register at 4295450.
Summer Music Series
YPSILANTI Crossroads Summer Festival 7 p.m. Friday: Horse Cave Trio, and Tracy Mack & the Magic Land Band. Washington Street at Michigan Avenue, Ypsilanti Free. 717-7305.
Washtenaw Classic Auto Show 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Fridays: 33623402 Washtenaw Ave. service drive. Free admission. 369-3012.
River Raisin Ragtime Revue 7:30 p.m. Friday: First United Methodist Church, 209
Annual Pie Lovers Unite 7 p.m. Saturday: Slow Food Huron Valley Ladies Literary Club, 218 N. Washington St., Ypsilanti. $7. Tickets required, but free for those bringing a pie, at brownpapertickets.com, and at the door. slowfoodhuronvalley.com/pie.html.
MANCHESTER Summer Gazebo Concerts 7:30 p.m. Thursday: Billy King & the Idylls. Free. Manchester gazebo, Wurster Park, Main Street west of M-52. Rain location: Emanuel Church hall, 324 W. Main St. Free, but donations appreciated. Call 428-0159.